Game projectiles and support therefor



Sept. 30, 1969 D. K. WELBOU RN 3,469,842

GAME PROJECTILES AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Feb. 21, 1966 O 80 I O I :72

(oooooo lq ooo oop) OOOO INVENTOR DALE K. WELBOURN United States Patent 3,469,842 GAME PROJECTILES AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Dale K. Welbourn, Box 26, Neola, Iowa 51559 Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 528,917 Int. Cl. A63f 9/02; A63b 65/12 US. Cl. 273-95 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to games and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a game in which sticks are flipped from a receptacle by a player and are caught by the player while each stick is in the air, providing a delightful game of skill.

A further object is to provide a game as described having separate groups of sticks, each group to be flipped out and caught by a different player.

A further object is to provide a stick receptacle holding the sticks in a convenient arrangement for simuleaneous play by a plurality of players.

Still another object is to provide the game described with a device for catching sticks.

Still another object is to provide a game which can have many variations.

The following drawings and description show examples only, it is understood that this invention is protected against changes therefrom within the scope of the following claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the game.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the game, a portion of the game receptacle being broken away for illustration.

FIGURE 3 is a detail showing a modification of a flip-stick of the game with its upper portion shown in section by removal of its forward half.

FIGURE 4 is a detail showing a modification of the stick for holding a ball.

FIGURE 5 is a View showing a stick-catching funnel.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a separate use of the upper portion of the receptacle with sticks therein inverted to form the target of a ring-toss game.

The flip-stick game of this invention is generally indicated at 10 in FIGURE 1 and has a plurality of sticks 12 each having an elongated vertical shank portion 20 preferably of cylindrical shape and each having a head 22 at one end of its shank portion, as best seen in FIGURE 2, and larger in dimension transverse to its elongation than the corresponding dimension of its shank portion 20.

Each stick is received in a stick receptacle generally indicated at 30 having an upper portion 34 with a plurality of vertical openings 36 therethrough each loosely receiving a respective one of the sticks 12.

The upper portion 34 of the receptacle 30 has portions 44 and 46, as best seen in FIGURE 2, surrounding each of the openings 36, which portions 44 and 46 are of lesser vertical dimension than the shank portions 20 whereby "rice the head portions 22 can retain the sticks in the openings 36 until they receive a blow on their lower ends to flip them upwardly, as later described.

The receptacle 30 further has a base means generally indicated at 50 for holding the upper portion 34 in a position with the shanks 20 of the sticks 12 upright or vertical with substantial spacing between the shanks 20 and the base 50.

The base 50 can have a lower portion 56 having feet 58 and upper portion 60 interconnecting the base 50 and the upper receptacle portion 30. The upper receptacle portion 30 can be permanently attached to the base 50 or it can be merely received thereon such as by being provided with a protrusion protruding upwardly from the base 50 and received in an opening or recess 72 extending into or through the upper portion 30 at its center.

The upper portion 30 preferably has a plurality of sections or spokes radially disposed about a center so that the sections 80 have those outer portions: 82 thereof which receive the sticks 12 disposed spaced apart so that an operator can flip sticks from each portion 82 WithOLlt interference from another player simultaneously flipping sticks from another portion 82.

As best seen in FIGURE 6, the removal of the upper portion 30 will cause it to be possible to insert all or some of the sticks 12 therethrough in a position with the heads down and resting on a floor 100, whereby the upwardly protruding shanks 20 are then held in positions for serving as targets for a ring shown in dotted lines at 120, whereby a ring-toss game can be played as a variation of the use of the flip-stick game.

Referring to FIGURE 3, a modified stick there shown at 220 can be provided having a shank 220 fixed by suitable means 240 to a hollow cylindrical head 250 in which a musical device such as a bell assembly 260 is mounted comprising a bell 270 having in it a ball 272 so that the bell assembly 260 will sound when the stick 212 is flipped.

Another modification 312 of the stick 12 has a cylindrical elongated shank 320 and a larger head 350 similar to the shank 20 and the head 22 except that the head 350 has a recess 360 in its upper end receiving a ball or marble 370 which will be thrown upwardly when the stick is flipped providing a further game of skill in which the player must then catch both stick and ball while they are in the air.

In FIGURE 5 a stick-catching funnel is shown at 400 having an open upper end as seen at 402 where a portion broken away for illustration and having a funnel-shaped interior with an open lower end 410 large enough to loosely receive the shank 20 of one of the sticks 12 therethrough but of a size to small to receive one of the heads 22 therethrough.

The funnel 400 preferably has an attached handle 420 of any suitable length desired, an end portion of which is broken away to indicate the variation in length possible.

I claim:

1. A game comprising a plurality of sticks, each stick having an elongated shank portion and a head at one end of the shank portion larger in transverse extent than said shank portion, and a stick receptacle having a substantially rigid upper portion with a plurality of vertical openings therethrough, said openings being greater in size than said shanks so that said shanks can slide through said openings, each head portion being at least slightly larger than said openings whereby said heads prevent said sticks from falling through said openings, said shanks being of lengths with respect to the vertical thickness of said upper portion at said openings so as to extend below the bottom surface of the upper portion a substantial distance when disposed in said openings, said head having substantially smooth sidewall portions, each head being of a cross-sectional dimension transversely of its shank sufficiently close to the cross-sectional dimension of its shank as to render said sticks easily manually graspable, the ends of said sticks opposite the heads being substantially blunt, and base means engaging said upper portion only in generally the central area thereof for supporting said upper portion in a position for holding said shanks upright with substantial spacing both between said shanks and said base means and also between the blunt ends of the sticks and the supporting surface on which the receptacle is disposed.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the shanks of said sticks are cylindrical.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which said receptacle has means thereon for visibly indicating a separation of said playing pieces into distinct groups for play of each group by a respective different player.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Cogswell.

Bailey.

Gist.

Farnum 273101 Horn 124-7 Oaks et a1. 27396 -Rothe.

Isakson 273106 X Modica.

FOREIGN PATENTS U.S. Cl. X.R. 

